WVU Basketball
Defense and Teddy Allen lead the Mountaineers past Coppin State
The #10 ranked West Virginia Mountaineers (10-1) defeated the Coppin State Eagles (0-12) in Morgantown Wednesday night at the Coliseum, 77-38. West Virginia put up one of their worst shooting performances of the year, “That was a horrific display of shooting the ball” said West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins after the game.
West Virginia could not find any offense to start the game. As a team, they went 4-14 from the field and 1-9 from three-point range in the first 12 minutes of the game, and would only lead 14-11.
The Mountaineers would not start to pull away from the Eagles until Teddy Allen would score 16 of his 18 first half points in the final 5 minutes of the first half. “Teddy can score” said Huggins, “Teddy has what all scorers have, is no conscience, he has no conscience, and that’s what the great scorers have had, they figure if they miss a few, they’ll make the rest of them”
West Virginia would end the half shooting just 29.5% (13-44) and 21.4% (3-14) from behind the arc, even struggling from the free throw line, hitting 61.9% (13-21).
The shots weren’t falling, but the defense was performing at a high level. The Mountaineers had 17 points off 16 turnovers, and held the Eagles to 17.4% (4-23) shooting and 8.3% (1-12) from three-point range.
That final five minutes of the first half was the turning point of the game and West Virginia would go into halftime with a 42-18 lead.
In the second the poor shooting continued for the Mountaineers. “We didn’t have very good practices. They haven’t been in the gym as much as they were in the gym earlier” said Huggins and it showed throughout the entire game.
Despite the lack of offense, the Mountaineers defense was playing at a high level and forced the 28 turnovers, “You didn’t see the straight-line drives, where we just turned guys loose straight to the rim” said Huggins.
One of the Mountaineers consistent scorers, Lamont West, did not play in the game, due to a sprained ankle he suffered in practice, and that could have contributed to some of the atrocious shooting.
It was one of the ugliest games this year, but West Virginia still built their lead in the second half and won the game by 39 points.
Teddy Allen led the Mountaineers in scoring with 24 points and was 1 rebound shy of a double-double.
The Mountaineers play Fordham this Saturday at noon, and it’s the last game before Big XII play starts.
